Storm finds focus

Seattle rallies to beat Lynx, help playoff positioning

Updated 10:00 pm, Tuesday, August 1, 2006

MINNEAPOLIS -- On a night filled with frustration for the Seattle Storm, there was relief in the end.

The Storm, which trailed by five with 2:52 remaining. rallied for a 77-75 victory over the Minnesota Lynx before 4,704 at the Target Center on Tuesday.

Betty Lennox's 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds remaining, her only points of the game, broke a 72-72 tie and Lauren Jackson added two free throws with 6.7 seconds remaining to help the Storm maintain its hold on fourth place in the West Division playoff race.

Seattle's victory, coupled with Charlotte's come-from-behind victory in San Antonio, gave the Storm (15-14) a 2 1/2-game lead over San Antonio and Phoenix in the playoff race with five games remaining.

"It was very frustrating tonight," Storm coach Anne Donovan said. "I told the team that I couldn't clearly pick out the (team) fighting for a playoff spot. I'd like to think that we would have a better grasp of the situation than just the last two minutes."

Jackson, who scored 20 points despite playing with plantar fasciitis in her left foot, agreed: "I don't think we lose focus, but we've had to overcome injuries and adversity, and tonight we didn't have it. It's a relief that we can play like that and still win."

The Storm was able to overcome several lengthy droughts with good 3-point and free throw shooting and the play of guard Sue Bird.

Bird, who was 4-for-25 from the field in the Storm's previous two games, led with 21 points and seven assists after being held scoreless in the first quarter.

"We talked to her after the second timeout and told her she had to get going," Donovan said, "that she had to get aggressive. When she did, the game changed."

Bird was still scoreless nearly five minutes into the second quarter when she hit back-to-back 3-pointers that fueled an 18-6 run by the Storm.

"They (coaches) definitely talked to me about being more aggressive," Bird said. "I think at that point I had taken one shot. But I know even if my shot isn't falling they have to guard me. I think those two 3s (in a 43-second span) came about 30 seconds after they talked to me."

Bird finished 8 of 14 from the field -- 3 of 5 from 3-point range. The Storm made 9 of 16 3-pointers.

Iziane Castro Marques contributed 12 points, and Janell Burse, who returned to the lineup after missing five games with a shoulder injury, added 10 points and seven rebounds.